Scotland In Union is a non-party movement, not a party

A journalist recently wrote in The Herald that we should join a party rather than continue as a non-party movement. Here's our response, in a letter published in The Herald a few days later.

Sir

Scotland In Union is a non-party, non-profit, pro-UK movement, with supporters and committee members from across the conventional political spectrum and from varied backgrounds.

It is therefore unfortunate that your columnist implied that we are a substitute for a particular political party ("Pro-Union alliances should join Tories to further cause", The Herald, July 9).

A visit to www.scotlandinunion.co.uk shows that our work complements that of the politicians. We help them to focus on what matters to our supporters, namely supporting Scotland in the UK. We also highlight parties' efforts in that direction.

Civic movements play an essential role in today's society. By lobbying, campaigning and providing information, we enrich political debate and promote important agendas which mainstream parties might otherwise ignore. Liberty, trade unions, Greenpeace and the Institute of Directors are older, larger and more well-funded than SIU, but they all act to influence parties without displacing them.

Scotland In Union has lobbied all the main parties recently, and will continue to do so, without favour or prejudice. We encourage political participation, and hope people will join parties. However, we support specific policies, not a particular political party. By doing so, we enhance politics in Scotland.